Suspected INLA man had mobile phone in jail, court hears

A Waterford man accused of INLA membership illegally took a mobile phone into a cell while in garda custody, the Special Criminal Court heard today.

It was the third day of the trial of John O’Donoghue (aged 27) of Clonard Park, Ballybeg, Co Waterford and James Butler (aged 55) of Ardmore Park, Ballybeg, Co Waterford, who both deny membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish National Liberation Army, otherwise the INLA on June 18, this year.

Prosecuting counsel Mary Ellen Ring SC was reading from the transcript of an interview that took place in Waterford Garda Station on June 18 between Detective Inspector Daniel Prenty of the Special Detective Unit and one of the accused, John O’Donoghue.

Ms Ring relayed to the court that, during the interview, Detective Inspector Prenty questioned O’Donoghue as to why he had concealed a mobile phone from gardaí after his arrest and took it into the cell, and that O’Donoghue answered "no comment".

O’Donoghue’s counsel, Brendan Nix SC, said that, "just because a prisoner had a phone concealed, that hardly qualifies him for INLA membership".

Detective Inspector Prenty said that it was "indicative" to him that O’Donoghue was hiding the phone for "illegal purposes" and that those purposes were "for the same reason he was arrested".

The trial before Mr Justice Paul Butler presiding at the three-judge court continues on Tuesday.